Burunche’s Blog

Revelation 1:7 – 8 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.”

Even before Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples were already getting anxious as to when he would return. Acts 1:7-11 describes the scene: Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

By this time, John is the last man standing among the disciples. All the other disciples have already been martyred for their faith. Now there are second and third and even fourth generation believers in the church. John wants to make sure that these believers don’t get discouraged and that they realize that Jesus could come back at any moment. Believers in Christ need to live in the expectation of that return.

Weddings were a big deal in Jesus’ day! The date would be announced, and the venue, but nobody knew exactly when the bridegroom would show up. Potential wedding guests had to be ready; festivities would begin as soon as the bridegroom arrived. Jesus told a story about twenty young ladies who were waiting to take part in a wedding. The bridegroom didn’t show up when expected, and night fell. Ten of these ladies had planned ahead and had enough oil for their lamps to burn all night; however, the other ten found their lamps running out of oil. And while the second group was off buying more oil, the bridegroom showed up, the wedding guests entered the wedding hall, and the door was locked. The feckless young ladies who had not been prepared found themselves locked out of the celebration. The moral of the story was obvious: Jesus was comparing himself to the bridegroom and warning his followers to be ready at all times for his return.

“and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” When Jesus came as a baby, he was born to a poor family in an obscure village in a small country. He was a nobody. But when Jesus returns as the conquering King who has vanquished hell, death, and the grave, EVERYBODY is going to see Him! Jesus warned his disciples of this shortly before he was crucified. “Therefore if they say to you, “Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or “Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”  (Matthew 24:26-27).

Before Jesus was crucified, he was beaten with whips having sharp pieces of broken pottery to help tear the flesh further. Then Jesus was nailed to the cross and eventually a Roman soldier thrust a spear into his left side to make sure that he was dead. None of us were there that day at Calvary; yet, we are all just as guilty as if we were in the crowds that screamed “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Jesus did not die on Calvary for his own sins, but for ours. When Jesus returns, everyone will see him in his majesty and his glory. At the same time, all of us will fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit that WE are the ones who caused those wounds! We are the ones who caused Jesus to be pierced! And all of the human race will grieve because of the way Jesus suffered and the fact that he suffered for us!

So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.” When we say something is going to happen, there is always a chance that circumstances will change. But when God says “So shall it be,”  that ends the matter! In the Greek alphabet, Alpha is the first letter and Omega is the last letter. God is assuring us that He is the beginning and end of everything, that He is Almighty, and that He has always existed, still exists and always will exist.

Today, where is your confidence? Are you trusting in financial security or a job or family connections? Perhaps you are a physical fitness buff and run marathons. As long as you are trusting in anything or anyone less than the One True Living God, you are making a terrible mistake. If COVID has taught us little else, we should have learned that businesses, jobs, social position and health can all vanish in an instant. In Psalm 95:7-8 the Psalmist tells us, “Today, if you hear His voice, 8do not harden your hearts…”

Remember the story of the wedding party. Jesus is going to return, but nobody knows the day or the hour. If we are not ready, if we have not chosen to follow Jesus, we will be like the young ladies who found themselves locked out of the wedding feast.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you allowed yourself to be pierced for our sins and nailed to the cross! Thank you that you have made a way for us to be with you in heaven forever if we will only believe on you and what you have done for us. Help everyone who reads this devotional to come to a saving knowledge of your love for them. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Revelations 1:5b – 6 ”To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

“To Him who loved us…” It’s difficult to believe, but Jesus loved every one of us even before we were born. In America, when parents and grandparents love a child, they will display any drawing the child makes on their kitchen refrigerator where they can look at it frequently. Max Lucado is fond of saying that God is so crazy about us that he has our drawings posted on His kitchen refrigerator!

God tells us in Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus died on the cross for each of us. One pastor we knew used to say that if each of us had been the only person in the whole world, Jesus would still have died for us.

“And washed us from our sins in His own blood…” The only payment for a sin debt is blood, but none of us is good enough by ourselves to pay for our own sins. Only the blood of Jesus, a perfect man, is sufficient to take away our sins. Earlier John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, His blood literally washes away our sins. When I was a kid, one of our favorite places to play was down by a small creek that ran through our farm. The only problem was that there was a lot more mud than there was water! This meant that once we finished playing, we looked like mud monsters that only a mother could love! I can’t count the number of times my mom had to pour buckets of water over us before we could even think about coming in the house, just to get the worst of the mud off. Sin clings even more closely than mud and is harder to get rid of! Only a Holy Spirit pressure washer can blast away our sin. nd has made us kings and priests to His God and Father…” Remember the story of the prodigal son? Born into a comfortably wealthy family, this younger son couldn’t wait to run out and live it up! He demanded his inheritance and took off for the big city where he proceeded to run through the money in the shortest time possible. Reduced to homelessness, the young man limped back to the country and became a swine herd, one of the dirtiest jobs possible. Finally, the boy decided to return home in hopes that his father would at least give him a job around the farm. But the father was thrilled that the boy had returned and celebrated his home coming. God our heavenly Father is like that. By ourselves, we don’t deserve God’s love at all. We have done nothing to make ourselves loveable. But God is rich in mercy and forgives all those who will turn away from their sins and come to him. When the prodigal son returned, the father dressed him in fine clothes and put a ring on his finger. If we will turn to God, He will make us royalty.

What is the significance of our being elevated to the status of priests? Only certain men of a certain age range and family background were elegible to serve as priests. These men had to be in good health without any sores, discharges, or other blemishes. But here God is promising to accept us as His kings or queens and priests or priestesses and allow us to enter the most holy places, even though by ourselves we do not deserve it.

 “to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” God is worthy of every bit of praise we can offer! There are no words sufficient to describe the greatness of God or His glory. But we should always thank and praise him for what He has done for us. And we should always seek to obey him. If we truly want God to have dominion forevre, He must occupy first place in our lives and in our hearts. Only then can we truly echo this prayer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us, for cleaning us up, and for elevating us to a status that only you can give. Help everyone who reads this devotional to realize how precious they are to you and how deep is your love for them. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelations 1:4 – 5 “John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.”

Wow! What’s going on with John? Addressing the letter to a specific set of churches in normal, as is the salutation of “Grace and Peace.” The churches mentioned were located in the Roman province of Asia, now modern – day Turkey. But John is purporting to speak for the eternal God, for Jesus, and for the “seven Spirits who are before His (God’s) throne,” that is, for the Holy Spirit. Is John delusional? Has dementia set in? “No,” to both those questions.

Just in case you thought “Fake News” was something new, you were wrong! Throughout history, people have circulated all kinds of rumors of various kinds and weird beliefs. Jesus had scarcely ascended into heaven before there were people accusing the early Christians of being crazy. Christians were accused of actually drinking human blood and eating human flesh during their communion services. And every town and village had its own local gods to be propitiated, with all kinds of myths surrounding these deities.

God gave John a vision and commanded him to write exactly what he saw. John is trying to make sure we understand that what he is about to tell us did not come from him, but from God. John is speaking to converts who might have been worshiping a plethora of false gods previously, so he wants to qualify that this message is coming from the Eternal God who existed before time and space, and who is present now and in the future. For Jews, this God would be identified as the Yaweh of their Scriptures.

 “From the seven Spirits who are before His throne…” Guzik explains this phrase as follows: “John brought a greeting from God the Holy Spirit, who is described with this title. The seven Spirits who are before His throne speaks to the perfection  and  completion of the Holy Spirit. John used an Old Testament description of the Holy Spirit. The idea of the seven Spirits quotes from the Old Testament. Isaiah 11:2 describes seven aspects of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. It isn’t that there are seven different spirits of God, rather the Spirit of the Lord has these characteristics, and He has them all in fullness and perfection.”

Guzik continues, “From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth:” John brought a greeting from God the Son, who is described by who He is and by what He has done.

i. Jesus is the faithful witness: This speaks to Jesus’ utter reliability and faithfulness to His Father and to His people, even unto death. The ancient Greek word translated witness is also the word for a martyr.

ii. Firstborn from the dead: This speaks to Jesus’ standing as pre-eminent among all beings, that He is first in priority. Firstborn from the dead means much more than that Jesus was the first person resurrected. It also means that He is pre-eminent among all those who are or will be resurrected. Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

iii. The use of firstborn does not mean that Jesus had a birth date and is therefore a created being, and not God. The ancient Rabbis called Yahweh Himself “Firstborn of the World” (Rabbi Bechai cited in Lightfoot’s commentary on Colossians). Rabbis also used firstborn as a Messianic title. “God said, ‘As I made Jacob a first-born (Exodus 4:22), so also will I make king Messiah a first-born’ (Psalm 89:27).” (R. Nathan in Shemoth Rabba, cited by Lightfoot in his commentary on Colossians)

iv. Jesus is the ruler over the kings. Before the Book of Revelation is over, Jesus will take dominion over every earthly king. At the present time, Jesus rules a kingdom, but it is a kingdom that is not yet of this world.

e. In this greeting, with its systematic mention of each Person of the Trinity, we see how the New Testament presents the doctrine of the Trinity. It doesn’t present it in a carefully defined, “systematic theology” kind of way. It simply weaves the truth of the Trinity – that there is One God in Three Persons – throughout the fabric of the New Testament.”

(David Guzik, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/revelation-1)

Why is John spending so much time in setting the stage? Why doesn’t he just get on with narrating his vision? Well, the simplest answer is that this is what God has instructed John to write. Actually, it is not John who is establishing God’s credentials; rather, it is God who is establishing John’s cedentials as a faithful witness. What John is about to describe is so mind – blowing that God wants to make certain we know He is really the One saying all this and that John didn’t just sit down to make something up.

Today, many people rarely think of God. For many, technology has become a kind of god, one that can be manipulated. But the eternal, immortal, omnipotent, omniscient, and everlasting God is far greater than anything our minds can conceive. If we worship technology, we are little better than those who used to carve idols, cover them with beaten gold, and then demand that the work of their hands should save and deliver them. Technology is only a servant, and no man is great enough to take the place of the One True Living God.

As we proceed through Revelations, we must ask ourselves this question: whom or what are we worshiping? Are we willing to worship God, realizing that we can only grasp a tiny glimpse of His greatness? Or are we trying to create our own little god, something that we can control and understand?

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are so great that our imaginations can only give us a small idea of your nature. Thank you that you choose to reveal yourself to us in your Word. Lord, open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts, so that we can learn more about your Nature. Thank you for loving us, for sending Jesus to die for our sins, and for granting us eternal life if we will believe on Jesus Christ. Amen.

Revelations 1:1 – 3 “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Revelations is the last book of the Bible and is probably the one least read! Some people avoid Revelations because they find it frightening or baffling. But skipping Revelations is a mistake because there is a great deal of teaching, guidance, and encouragement to be gotten from this book.

Yesterday I described John’s situation on the Island of Patmos. Exiled to become slave labor in the marble quarries of this bleak island, John found himself receiving marvelous messages from God. Remember that John was the disciple who was closest to Jesus and to whom Jesus revealed many things. As one of the elders in the church, John had served Jesus for many years and was noted for his deep prayer life as well as for his emphasis on love. One other thing that was essential to John: he was very humble. And it was this very humility and this closeness to Jesus that prepared John to receive the visions captured in Revelations.

“This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” David Guzik in Enduring Word Commentaries writes, “The ancient Greek word translated Revelation is apokalupsis (apocalypse). The word simply means “a revealing, an unveiling.” The Book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the sense that it belongs to Him, He is the one doing the revealing. It is also Jesus’  Revelation in the sense that He is the object revealed; Jesus is the person revealed by the book.”

Guzik continues, “From the outset, we are given the most important truth about the Book of Revelation. This book shows us the Antichrist, it shows us God’s judgment, it shows us calamity on the earth, and it shows us Mystery Babylon in vivid detail. Most of all, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to us. If we catch everything else, but miss Jesus in the book, we miss the Book of Revelation.” (For a really in – depth discussion of this chapter, see Guzik’s teaching on line at: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/revelation-1/

“To show his servants…” Ever since Jesus was taken up into heaven, his followers had been wondering what would happen next and when he would return. Acts 1:9-11 describes Jesus’ ascension. “After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” But Jesus ascended into heaven more than 60 years ago and none of his followers knew when he would return. Part of the purpose of Revelations was to encourage the followers to be patient and wait for God’s perfect will to be carried out on the earth.

“He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw.” Throughout the Bible, men and women encounter angels. During New Testament times, there were many recorded instances of angels rescuing various disciples. Even today, there is intense interest in angels as evidenced by the popularity of the television program “Touched By an Angel,” and the magazine “Angels on Earth.” While some of us might have difficulty believing in angels, these encounters are very real. What’s so important about John? John undoubtedly had a reputation for honesty and integrity and was someone on whose word people could rely.

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.” In those days, there were many who were illiterate or who might not speak the language in which a letter was originally written. Those of us who work in Northern Ghana have had to become accustomed to being translated into at least one or more languages whenever we are teaching or preaching. John is invoking a blessing on those reading and translating as well as those listening and obeying. Obedience is key; it is not enough simply to listen and then to leave unchanged.

”…the time is near…” Some translations read “shortly,” indicating that when the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy arrives, things will happen suddenly. Revelations is a prophetic book, but the time line of the prophecies is not specific. In Acts 1:7 Jesus told his disciples, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

How can we view Revelations? The key word is “obedience.” As we study this book, there may be things that are baffling; however, we should open our hearts and minds to receive those truths that we can understand and to act on them. One Southern lady of my acquaintance was fond of saying that she would “chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” As we learn and obey what we can understand, God will give us more knowledge.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for every book in the Bible. Thank you that you have promised to give us wisdom and understanding if we will ask for it. Please open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts so that we can enjoy studying Revelations and learn what you have for us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelations 1:1 – 3 “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Although John was the only one of Jesus’ original disciples who did not die as a martyr, he still endured great suffering. The Island of Patmos was a small island (6 miles x 10 miles) between Greece and Turkey that was noted for its marble quarries. Enemies of the Roman Empire were frequently sent to Patmos, there to toil and suffer and die ignominious deaths. Today, photos of Patmos show an island having white houses shining in the Aegean sun surrounded by a brilliant blue sea. At the time of John, a visitor described it as a “sterile island,” having sun – baked rocks with very few trees and no streams. John had to find shelter in a cave halfway up a mountain so that he could write about his visions. A helper named Prochoros evidently acted as John’s secretary.

John was exiled by the Emperor Domitian in 95 A.D. By then John was probably in his late 80’s or early 90’s. Anyone looking at the situation might have said that John’s position was hopeless and that his ministry had come to a frustrating end. But God is a God of infinite variety; He delights in causing iron gates to fall open and chains to fall off prisoners. John might have been shut away from the rest of the world, but God was there and no chains can bind the Holy Spirit! After years of shuttling around from one church to the next, giving messages and writing letters, now John had time and space to be quiet and to listen to God.

John’s exile on Patmos was not the first time that God had used a cave as a means of communicating with one of His servants. When the prophet Elijah had his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. Elijah wound up in a cave on Mount Horeb where God outlined the rest of Elijah’s ministry for him. Caves are interesting places because you can be dry and safe, but you are also isolated. And many times, we need that isolation so that our spirits will become quiet enough to hear from God.

During the COVID restrictions of the last several months, many people have suffered from isolation, particularly those who have additional need of physical contact. But isolation is not necessarily bad. In an earlier era, children who grew up on farms learned how to do many things to entertain themselves. As a pre – schooler, I learned how to use simple hand tools, how to care for animals, how to do simple household chores, and even how to fry eggs, make toast, etc. My brothers and I built tree houses and made our own little sitting stools. We also worked in the fields for hours without radios, MP3 players, or any other entertainment. No of us was ever bored!

It is in quietness that we are able to hear the still small voice of God. Funny thing, but the God who created thunderstorms and tornadoes and hurricanes generally speaks very softly when he is talking with His servants.

Today, what is your situation? Do you feel isolated and cut off from family, friends, or colleagues? Perhaps this is the time that God wishes to speak to you. Find a quiet corner away from your cell phone or television. Next ask God to speak to you. Ask God to help you hear His voice. Ask God to help you to hear only His voice. And then wait. You will find that sooner or later, there will be simple phrases coming into your mind and there will be peace.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that you are always more willing to speak to us than we are to listen to You. Thank You that you never turn anyone away when they truly want to hear from You. Help us to be quiet and to listen. Speak to the hearts of those who are waiting to hear from You. And give them the assurance that You are truly speaking to them. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jude 17 – 25 “But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ 18 when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. 22 And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others, show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.”

From Jude’s previous remarks, you would think that he was a horrible judgmental type whose view of things was so narrow that he could look through a keyhole with both eyes! And you would be wrong. True, Jude wants to sound a warning; but at the same time, he is also aware that there are many who are not actually rebellious but rather naive and confused.

Jude wants believers to reach out to those around them, but there is a process to follow. First, believers are to build themselves up in their faith by praying. Nothing can happen in the Kingdom of God without asking God for guidance and praying. Someone once visited Mother Teresa and found her praying. But this man was surprised to find that Mother Teresa was doing very little talking. “Mother Teresa,” her visitor asked, “Why aren’t you speaking more when you pray?” “Oh, I do speak,” Mother Teresa answered, “but how can I receive guidance from God if I refuse to listen? The times when I am silent, I am listening intently.”

When we pray, we must first ask God to prepare our hearts and minds. We must then ask God to prepare the hearts and minds of those to whom He wishes to send us and then ask Him to lead us to those people. We are to minister in love and in mercy, realizing that we too have been snatched from the fires of hell by others who prayed and helped us in our faith.

The ground is level at the foot of the cross; there are no first class/second class/ third class citizens in the Kingdom of God. There are only sinners saved by God’s grace and mercy. We are to hate those things that have hurt our brothers and sisters and have kept them from approaching God, but we are never to hate our brothers and sisters!

Many times, believers feel anxious and uncertain about the future and about how they will cope with the problems they are facing. Verses 24 and 25 contain one of the most powerful blessings in the Bible.

“24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy”… God IS able to keep us from stumbling! By ourselves, all we can do is to stumble, but God is all – powerful and He can keep us. Because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary, our sins have been covered, allowing us to be presented without any blemish.

 “25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.” God truly is the only God and He truly is our Savior! He truly deserves all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority! He is the only One who deserves such praise and such worship! Come, let us adore Him!

PRAYER: Father God, there are no words sufficient to describe your beauty, your majesty, your glory, your splendor, your power, and your authority! All we can say is thank you for loving us! Thank you for saving us! And thank you for your precious and secure promises of eternal life! May your Name be lifted up! May your Name be praised! And may we always glorify you, both now and forever! Amen!

Jude 8 – 16 “Yet in the same way, these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively. 11 Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

12 These men are the hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones 15 to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.” 16 These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.”

WHEW! JUDE, WHY DON’T YOU TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL?

We find ourselves in a time when people join churches and then try to change the church to suit themselves. Things weren’t that much different in Jude’s time. Some people had joined the church under false pretenses and were now trying to re – make the church to accommodate gross immorality. These people might have been trying to incorporate fertility rites or other pagan practices into church services. Whatever be the case, Jude compares such people to a number of rebellious wrong – doers in the Bible. Who were the people to whom Jude compared these pseudo Christians?

Cain: Cain killed his brother Abel because Abel offered a sacrifice that was pleasing to God while Cain tried to take God for granted and just offered God any old thing. When God rejected Cain’s sacrifice, Cain killed Abel out of jealousy and spite.

Balaam: Balaam was a pagan seer who evidently really did hear from God; however, Balaam could be bought. When the King of Midian offered Balaam enormous riches if Balaam would curse the Israelites, Balaam agreed, despite the fact that God had already told him not to go. Even when Balaam viewed the Israelites, God still forced him to bless them and not to curse them. Balaam also taught the Israelites “false practices” (?fertility rites) and caused the Israelites to sin. Eventually, Balaam was killed during a battle between the Israelites and the Midianites.

Korah: Korah led a revolt against Moses documented in Numbers 16:31-33. The earth swallowed up Korah and all his co – conspirators.

The main thing all of these men had in common was rebellion against God. 1 Samuel 15:22 -23 says, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”

Contrast these men with Enoch. Genesis 5:24 describes Enoch as “a man who walked with God, and then he was no more because God had taken him away.” Enoch was so holy that God took him into heaven. Although this is the only information we have about Enoch, there must have been an oral tradition or other writings that preserved Enoch’s prophecies.

Jude wanted Christians to be on their guard against those would compromise or subtly promote rebellion against God and His holiness. Yesterday I quoted the first verse of James Russell Lowell’s poem “Once to Ev’ry Man and Nation.” Here is the second verse:

Then to side with truth is noble, 
When we share her wretched crust, 
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, 
And ’tis prosperous to be just; 
Then it is the brave man chooses 
While the coward stands aside, 
Till the multitude make virtue 
Of the faith they had denied. 

We are continually facing choices: righteousness or compromise. How will you choose?

PRAYER: Father God, help us to remain close to you, to study your Word, to pray, and to seek your face. Help us to love but not to compromise, to stand for truth without being cruel, and to demonstrate your holiness to a lost and fallen world. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jude 1 – 7 “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day. In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.”

He’s politically incorrect, but for years Yosemite Sam was a beloved Looney Tunes Cartoon figure with bristling mustaches, blazing guns, and a hair trigger temper. It didn’t take much to get Sam riled up and he spoke his mind, no matter what! Jude the disciple sounds a lot like Yosemite Sam.

Who was Jude? Scholars think it most likely that he was a brother or half brother to Jesus and that his name originally was Judas. But English translations shorten it to Jude to avoid confusing the writer of this epistle with Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. In the beginning, none of Jesus’s brothers believed in Him, but after His death and resurrection, they believed and many of them became missionary teachers. Chuck Swindoll says, “From this scant portrait, we begin to picture Jude as a man who lived in skepticism for a time but eventually came to a powerful faith in Jesus. And as he traveled on behalf of the gospel—telling the story in city after city with his name Judas butting up against that of Judas Iscariot—he would stand as a living example of faithfulness, a stark contrast to the betrayer.”

This epistle is one of the shortest books of the Bible. Just like Yosemite Sam, Jude has no time for “varmints,” that is, evil doers. While the Apostle John was writing to warn churches of false doctrine, his warnings sound positively mild by comparison with Jude’s! Again, Swindoll says, “Jude’s edgy brevity communicates the urgency of his notion that false teachers needed to be condemned and removed from the church. Few words meant that Jude would not waste space dancing around the issue. He saw within the church people and practices that were worthy of condemnation, including rejecting authority and seeking to please themselves. In response to these errors, Jude marshaled much biblical imagery to make clear what he thought of it all—anything from Cain killing his brother Abel to the punishment of the sinful people who populated Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Jude sees the church in danger, poised on the edge of a theological and moral cliff, and is doing everything he can to sound a warning. In the old days, trumpets were used to announce all kinds of things, but there were certain trumpet calls that told people they were under attack. The Book of Jude is a verbal trumpet call to righteousness.

One of the challenges facing Christians today is that of political correctness. Those who wish to pursue their own morality attempt to control others by shaming them and labeling them. But ironically, the same people who have demanded that cartoon figures such as Yosemite Sam be withdrawn find nothing wrong with children playing violent computer games such as Grand Theft Auto.

Christians have always found themselves opposing popular culture in every age. Standing for righteousness has never been easy. More than a century ago, James Russell Lowell wrote a poem entitled “Once to Every Man and Nation” At the time, Lowell was writing to oppose slavery. Here is the first verse of that poem:

Once to ev’ry man and nation 
Comes the moment to decide, 
In the strife of truth and falsehood, 
For the good or evil side; 
Some great cause, some great decision, 
Off’ring each the bloom or blight, 
And the choice goes by forever 
‘Twixt that darkness and that light. 

The choices have never changed: bowing to popular culture or standing for righteousness. And the choices have never been easy.

PRAYER: Father God, show us your goodness! Show us your truth! Show us your righteousness! And help us never to waver and never to bow to the pressure of culture. Forever, O Lord, your Word is settled in heaven! Let your Word be engraved on our hearts and let us follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

3 John 1:13 – 14 “I have many things to write to you, but I would prefer not to do so with pen and ink. Instead, I hope to see you soon and speak face to face. (Some translations say “mouth to mouth.”) Peace to you. The friends here send you greetings. Greet each of our friends there by name.”

If the last several months have taught us nothing else, they have taught us the importance of face to face contact! Many of us have found ourselves learning about zoom meetings, on – line courses, and all kinds of things we never anticipated. But throughout all of these experiences, one thing has become increasingly evident: There is NO substitute for face to face meetings!

Isolation due to COVID has hit certain groups particularly hard: the elderly, those with autism, those with dementia, and those who only thrive on skin to skin contact. While many introverts have weathered the isolations imposed by COVID regulations, groups dependent on personal contact have suffered! Some hospitals and nursing homes have tried to compensate by using tablets so that loved ones can face time patients; however, these measures still do not provide the tactile stimulation so necessary in many situations.

Many years ago, there were experiements done with baby monkeys who were divided into three groups. One group of babies was cared for nicely but impersonally – food and water were provided, but there was no cuddling and there were no other sources of comfort such as stuffed toys, blankets, etc. The second group was given good care plus they were also supplied with stuffed toys and blankets, but they were not cuddled. The third group received everything the first two groups did; and in addition, their care takers took them out of the cages and played with them and cuddled them. The predictable happened: the group of babies without tactile stimulation sickened and died. The group furnished with toys and blankets did better but did not grow well, while the third group flourished. This experiment was done at a time when infants were placed in incubators and care givers were ordered to touch them as little as possible to avoid spreading infection. The results of this experiment revolutionized the care of human babies in nurseries and led directly to programs in which volunteers and parents were trained to cuddle babies.

We all need human touch. We all do better when we are free to hug, to hold hands, to pat others on their shoulders, and to otherwise establish physical contact. The early Christians were no different. Consider the isolation the early Christians endured. Many times, Christians were a minority within their communities. They might face persecution from governmental officials. They might be driven from town to town. A visit from John, one of the most beloved church leaders, would be an incredible opportunity. We can imagine church members gathering in someone’s home, listening to John teach as long as he could continue to speak. And then there would be hugs, kisses, and prayers. Those present would be soaking up as much as possible, knowing that this might be the last time they would be able to gather together and worship together.

Notice that John is still being careful to be extremely vague – “The friends here send you greetings. Greet each of our friends there by name.” Remember that John is sending this message with someone who might be arrested and the letters taken away and sent on to some impersonal Roman official. John is writing passionately but also cautiously.

We have spent most of the last 32 years working in district hospitals in remote parts of northern Ghana. Through the years, we have missed birthdays, anniversaries, graduation parties, family gatherings on holidays, and all kinds of other celebrations at which friends and family would be hugging, kissing, patting, shaking hands, and soaking up affection. Missing these celebrations has been very difficult; not because of the food,or the presents but because we have lost the chance to hug family and friends and to hear them laugh and tell stories.

Many people have written about heaven. For us, one thing we look forward to in heaven is that there will be no good – byes. One day we will join with our loved ones around the throne of God and worship there forever. But there is a catch: Jesus said of himself, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except through Me.” (John 14:6) The Bible advises us that we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ if we are to be saved. (Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Nothing we can do is good enough to pay for our sins. We must accept the blood sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on Calvary, believe in Him, confess our sins, and ask God to forgive us and to cleanse us. Only then are we assured of being reunited with our loved ones in heaven.

PRAYER: Father God, we believe! Help our unbelief! Thank you that you are a God of love who has made a way for us to be with you forever. Help everyone who reads this devotional to come to a saving knowledge of your Love and your Grace. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

3 John 3: 9 – 12 “I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction. So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.”

Sometimes pastors and other church leaders might like to fantasize about the early church where everyond loved one another and was dedicated to Jesus and was generous and compassionate and ……. WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT???? The early church was made up of fallible human beings and unfortunately, the problems the early leaders faced are the same problems confronting church leaders today.

Today, pastors have all kinds of communication available to them, but John had only letters and word of mouth. Evidently, Diotrephes was one of the church leaders with an ego that wouldn’t quit; he was a legend in his own mind. And nobody in his family was conceited because he had gotten all the conceit! We know nothing of his background, other than he was probably a Gentile (his name means “nurtured by Jupiter”). Names are very important, and this guy started out with a name that simply dripped arrogance.

The photo shows Mohammed Ali Abdul Somed, the Secretary for the Smock Makers Association in Ghana, wearing a traditional fugu hat. Here in Northern Ghana, such hats can be worn in several different ways, depending on the occasion, the nature of the wearer, and whether or not dignitaries are present. If someone is a paramount chief or the most important chief present, he can wear the hat slanting straight up to show that he is higher than anybody else; however, if another more important chief arrives, the first chief will have to rearrange his hat!

Hats slanted to the left indicate the wearer is a man of peace and is not looking for trouble. Hats slanted to the right indicate the individual is self – dependent. In some areas, hats slanted backwards indicate that the wearer is not looking for trouble; however, others claim that a hat slanted backwards indicates a chief who is yet to be enskinned. A hat slanted forward can either mean that the individual is looking for trouble or that he feels he has no equal in any sphere of life.

If Diotrephes had lived in Northern Ghana, he would have made sure that his fugu hat was upright at all times! Diotrephes refused to accept instruction, spread malicious slander, and even forbade church members to offer hospitality to visiting church elders – an unthinkable practice in an era in which church elders were routinely received into the homes of church members.

What had happened to Diotrephes? We may never know. Perhaps he had some educational advantages. Perhaps he was wealthy. Diotrephes certainly appears to have had a forceful personality, since he was even attempting to throw church members who entertained traveling church leaders in their homes out of the church! But John analyzes the situation in one succinct sentence: Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

Jesus told his disciples that they would know true followers by their fruits, and the fruit Diotrephes was producing was rotten! Contrast that with the church leader named Demetrius, who was spoken well of by everyone. Demetrius would have worn his fugu hat slanted to the left to indicate that he was a man of peace.

Centuries have come and gone, but the names of these two men remain recorded in the Bible. God has acknowledged Demetrius as a faithful servant, someone who has been approved by all who have known him. Diotrophes, on the other hand, remains famous for his arrogance and his rebellious attitude.

Sometimes we think that God isn’t really paying attention to the things we think or say or do. Nothing could be farther from the truth! God as our Heavenly Father is passionately interested in the state of our hearts. How it must have grieved God to see Diotrephes with all his talents using his abilities of leadership to bring division and strife! And how many misguided church members may have taken their cues from Diotrephes just because he could speak glibly, speading vicious innuendos and poisoning relationships?

PRAYER: Father God, please help us to humble ourselves before you at all times. Help us to imitate what is good and not what is evil. Lord, search our hearts and minds and cleanse us from anything that is not of you. And help us to be careful about imitating anyone else, no matter how smoothly they talk. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.